Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Thanksgiving International Style

Vol State students from around the world were able to experience Thanksgiving (some for the first time) with new friends, today.

Faculty members who teach English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teamed up with the Collegiate Ministry Club and VISA (Vol State International Student Association) to host a thanksgiving luncheon.

“I see potential for America,” said Karen Rockwell, who has helped with the event for about 40 years.

Student Nhi Le from Vietnam is celebrating Thanksgiving for the second year here in the U.S. Last year she said that she stayed home and went to sleep.

“This year is much better.” Le said. “It’s good for everyone to come home and have a meal with the family. It’s good to have a meal with everyone in my class,” said Le.
Le plans to have Thanksgiving dinner with her brother when she returns to Vietnam.

Fernanda Laron, from Brazil, said this was her first thanksgiving and she really enjoyed it. In her culture, the turkey is more a Christmas tradition.

Rock Zhao from China has been in the U.S. for 6 months, he said the lunch was a great chance for him to learn a new culture and talk with friends. It also gave him a understanding of the American culture and was a great way for him to improve his English.

Although, Thanksgiving may not be a way for our families to improve our language barrier, we need to be grateful that we have a holiday that we get to spend time with our loved ones.

I am a faculty member in the Math and Science division. I came to the US as a foreign student myself. The holidays were the hardest for me and getting invited for Thanksgiving dinner by an American family was a blessing. Christmas was also hard on some of us living in the dorms where all my dorm mates had left for home and I have had many Christmas's alone with maybe a few other students who could not afford make it home. I am glad that Volstate is doing everything possible to make its foreign students feel at home. The 1st year is the hardest when your so far away from your own country missing your friends and relatives while having to start over make new friends all over again. It has been a tremendous growth experience overall.